1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to robotics and, more particularly, to transporting and/or sorting items with robots.
2. Background Information
An order fulfillment center typically includes a warehouse with a storage area and a packaging area. To fulfill customer orders, items within the storage area are gathered and moved to the packaging area to be packaged and subsequently shipped to customers.
The items may be gathered and moved in various manners. A fulfillment center employee, for example, may pick the items from shelves in the storage area and place the picked items onto a cart. This employee may subsequently move the items to the packaging area by pushing the cart. This manner of gathering and moving items, however, can be physically demanding and time consuming.
In an effort to increase productivity, some large fulfillment centers have implemented sorting systems to robotically gather and move the items. A typical sorting system includes a picking machine and a matrix of conveyors and slides. The picking machine moves within aisle ways between the shelves in the storage area and uses, for example, a robotic arm to grasp an item. The picking machine moves the grasped item back through the aisle ways and places the item onto one of the conveyors or slides. The conveyors and slides subsequently move the item from the storage area to a desired location in the packaging area for further processing.
Such a sorting system, however, typically requires a relatively large amount of startup capital to install extensive infrastructure and space to implement. In addition, when the picking machine or one of the conveyors breaks down, item processing within the fulfillment center may be temporarily suspended or slowed. The sorting system can also pose an injury risk to fulfillment center employees who inadvertently get in the way of the picking machine while performing other tasks within the aisle ways. As a result, the aisle ways within the storage area may be off-limits to fulfillment center employees during sorting system operation.
There is a need in the art for improved methods and devices for transporting and/or sorting items between locations.